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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Tolerance may be the mantra of the homosexual movement, but intolerance is their M.O. And we're talking intolerance at the highest level of psychiatry. Any psychiatrist or professional group that refuses to support the biased view that homosexuality is normal and sexual orientation is unchangeable is targeted.

One of the latest battlegrounds is The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). They recently considered a motion to deny membership to professionals and professional groups (like the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality - NARTH) that practice Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE). They also want to define change therapy as "unethical" even when patients seek to be cured of their disordered attraction. (See more here...)

It doesn't look like CAMFT is in a hurry to carry out the gays' demands - too much potential for lawsuits. But what if they do? What impact will that have on patients? A gay man who was molested as a child, who hates being attracted to other men (Yes, there are homosexuals who fit that description.), goes to a therapist for help. But the only "help" the therapist is ethically allowed to give in the politically correct world of gay propaganda is to convince the man his inclination is "normal" and helping him be "comfortable" with it. That is what's unethical! For decades prior to 1973 the American Psychiatric Association (APA) listed homosexuality as a mental disorder. Only after lobbying by gay activists and faux science did the APA and other professional groups cave in and declare homosexuality normal. They did the same thing with abortion. These professional organizations continue to move toward ever more extreme positions, for example, that sado-masochism is normal as well.

A few therapists and researchers are standing for sanity. Pray for them and for organizations like NARTH that are under serious attack for refusing to trade the politically incorrect truth for the politically correct lie.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Remember Fatima? When the Blessed Mother appeared to the little shepherd children and asked for a basilica to be built there? Well, she obvious didn't authorize the new basilica shown in the video below. In fact, no real Catholic could have authorized this monstrosity. It must have been an atheist imposter working to destroy the Church. How many pilgrims want to visit this...what exactly do you call it?...a bunker?...a fortress?...hardly a church. What a way to treat a sacred shrine!

Mary said the faith would never be lost in Portugal. Now in the parish office at Fatima -- that's another story. This building could have been designed by the evil mayor of Ourem who threatened the children. This must be his revenge.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Summertime and the living is easy....well, a little easier for most of us with maybe a trip to the beach or some time at the pool. So what's in your beachbag (besides sun screen and towels)? I hope a good book or maybe two. Here's my recommendation for a compelling, hard-to-put-down read: My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas.

The book was sitting on my shelf for months and might be still if my book club hadn't selected it. I'm glad they did.What a story! Thomas and his brother were raised by his hard-working grandfather and loving grandmother. When Thomas' single mom, Leola, asked her parents to help out they agreed to take the boys but made it clear the placement would be permanent. And, in fact, for the rest of their grandfather's life, the two young men would refer to him as "Daddy." Thomas' grandfather never complained about his lot in life, although he had to work hard to make ends meet, and he wouldn't let the boys whine either. He kept them busy working hard and out of trouble -- a smart man. He also encouraged them to get a good education. Thomas attended a local parish school where his abilities were recognized and fostered. To this day he has great respect for the nuns who taught him.

But at times, it seemed to Thomas that his grandfather was too hard. Angry over Thomas dropping out of the seminary, he sent him out on his own at eighteen. Later on he refused to attend Thomas' graduation from Yale law school. Thomas admits his own blame in causing the rift between them. He says he was angry and rebellious and continuously picked arguments with the older man. His one big regret is that things were never fully resolved before his grandfather died.

I had the great privilege of meeting and speaking with Justice Thomas outside St. Matthew's Cathedral the day of the red Mass shortly after his confirmation. I was there with a group of pro-lifers opposing Communion for pro-abortion politicians like Ted Kennedy. (I spoke to Kennedy that day as well, challenging him over his part in murdering the unborn.) Like most pro-lifers, I followed the hearings closely. I knew Thomas attended Truro Episcopal Church, well known for its orthodoxy, firm adherence to the gospel, and pro-life commitment. From the first, I was convinced that the democrats were trying to "bork" a good man and was thrilled when Thomas refused to turn tale and run, but fought back.

In the last chapters of the book, Thomas describes the hearings, that most painful episode in his life, with poignant honesty. For such a private person, this autobiography plumbs the depths of emotional turmoil and the sorrow of betrayal. Thomas' deep faith is revealed time and again in the story especially in his relationship with Senator and clergyman John Danforth.

What is crystal clear throughout the book is the reality that Democrats will attempt to destroy any black man who dares to step out of "his place" and think independently from the their political machine. Clarence Thomas bolted the liberal plantation to make up his own mind about issues and how they affect the black community. It was the unpardonable crime that made him the implacable enemy of the left. Anita Hill was the instrument they used to destroy his reputation and assassinate his character. "How do you get that back?" he asks in the book.

It is hard to understand Hill's despicable betrayal of a man who did all he could to help her professionally. If her verbal attack was true her actions were incomprehensible! Why would a woman who had a good, secure job follow someone who harrassed her and keep in touch with him over the years? To me, Anita Hill's behavior bears all the earmarks of the woman scorned who had a crush on Thomas that was unrequited. Her part in attempting to derail his nomination while doing it anonymously (fortunately the panel refused that degree of complicity) will forever mark her as the liberal machine's moll.

My Grandfather's Son is a passionate story that reveals depths of love, commitment, loyalty, and betrayal. One episode I found particularly moving was Thomas' despcription of his mom's reaction to the show-trial confirmation hearings orchestrated by Joe Biden and the Democrats in their attempt to destroy Thomas:

I never asked my mother how she voted, nor did she ask me why I'd chosen to ally myself with a party that so many blacks regarded as racist and evil. Now she could see for herself. Patrick Leahy, Howard Metzenbaum, Joe Biden, Paul Simon, even Teddy Kennedy: all of them were arrayed against me. How dare they treat her son that way. Never before had I seen her as angry as she was in the fall of 1991. All her life she'd assumed that Democrats in Washington were sensible leaders -- but now she saw these men as single-issue zealots who were unwilling to treat her son fairly. "I ain't never votin' fo' another Democrat long as I can draw breath," she told me as we walked out of the Senate building on what should have been my final day of testimony. "I'd vote for a dog first."

Tuck My Grandfather's Son in your bookbag this summer. It offers a profound insight into a man of integrity. In the end his courage and constancy foiled the liberal lynch mob. I'm sure "Daddy" would have been very proud!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Larry and I took off for a short camping trip about an hour north of home. Seems these days we're lucky to get two days in a row to do something besides defend the faith and keep ahead of the grass and garden. But I really do have a life away from the computer and it focuses on family. In fact, it's our family that makes us fight for the culture because, with nineteen grandchildren, Larry and I have a big stake in the future. We don't want our children to suffer like the children of Israel. And so I keep another blog about family and vacations and the ordinary times of babysitting and baking, reading children's stories, taking walks and teaching the little ones about how faith is the center of our lives.

And every now and then, Larry and I take off on our own. But even on vacation we can't get away from the mess we're in. There are just too many reminders. While we were in Martinsburg, WV we stopped in at St. Joseph's Catholic Church to make a visit. Ai yi yi! talk about a trip back to the 70s and 80s and a church that's as ugly as sin. But the worst part was the way poor Jesus is being treated. Forgive us, Lord. Check it out for yourself.

Friday, June 25, 2010

World Net Daily (WND) posted the AP photo on the right with the caption, Lord of the Flies? For those who recall the book of the same name, it tells about a group of English schoolboys marooned on an island after a shipwreck. As the boys attempt to establish a kind of government things break down and the students form into two groups battling each other. Their behavior becomes more and more confrontational and violent and, if memory serves, at least one boy is killed.

It's a sad story, as well as a cynical one positing that the natural state of mankind is war. The boy leader of one of the groups is admirable, but unable to prevent the collapse into savagery. The Lord of the Flies, Satan himself, seems to rule on the island arousing jealousy, animosity, and hatred amongst the boys. When they are finally rescued by the British navy, the adults are shocked and disgusted at what they find. There's irony there too, however, since England has been at war for most of her history.

But back to the photo...I think WND hit the mark with their title. Obama's entire strategy since ascending to the presidency has been to foster division, conflict, and class hatred. It's a strategy consistent with Alinsky community organizing. Fostering conflict is what allows those who want power to acquire it.

That the fly landed on Obama's lip is an apt metaphor. Satan is often called "the father of lies." And Obama's lies are legion. He is attacking the country from within. He uses every crisis and even manufactures them in order to consolidate the power of the central government.

The Lord of the flies?...The father of lies?...Take your pick. Obama is equally deserving of either. Jesus said you can know a man by his fruits. Obama's are the advancement of abortion and the homosexual agenda. That's two of the four sins that cry to heaven for vengeance: murder of the innocent and sodomy. It's a good job if you look at it from the Lord of the flies' perspective.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A spokesman for the U.S. Catholic Bishops has accused Catholic News Agency of fabricating comments by Cardinal George criticizing the Catholic Health Association (CHA) for supporting Obamacare. (The cardinal gave a talk on health care at the bishops' recent meeting in Florida.) You can read the story by clicking on the link below.

The question I have is why exactly was Cardinal George's talk a secret in the first place? Was he ashamed of something he was going to say? What was the point of making it secret? Haven't we had enough secrets? Was Cardinal George afraid to directly confront the scandalous actions of Sister Carol Keehan and the CHA and let the flock know it? Why? Shouldn't public scandals be confronted publicly? Has anybody got a good answer?

In his book Nothing to Hide, Russell Shaw, former communications director for the bishops, describes the ill effects of secrecy on the community:

Secrecy, deception, stonewalling, spin, rejection of accountability, repudiation of shared responsibility and consultation -- these are deadly foes of internal communication among members of any group. They subvert and eventually destroy community and "horizontal" communion in the Church. Systematically practiced by leaders at the expense of the led, the abuse of secrecy creates an us-versus-them mentality on both sides of the relationship.

Hmm....Us vs. them -- yes indeed. Unfortunately, the them identified as enemies of the bishops are often those laity who defend the faith with courage and conviction. Preeminent theologian Dietrich von Hildebrand pointed this out in The Devastated Vineyard. Those who should be the bishops' pride and joy are often dismissed as troublemakers.

Shaw says most of what happens at bishops' meetings should be open. "The presumption ought to be in favor of openness, with the burden of proof resting (the seal of confessional excepted) on those who wish to argue for secrecy in particular cases that 'involve the good name of individuals, or that touch upon the rights of people whether singly or collectively'".

But the opposite is actually happening as the bishops close more and more of their sessions to the media. There is still a "circle the wagons" mentality. Put it down, at least in part, to the on-going problem of clericalism in the Church which, as Shaw says, is "something like the pattern in the wallpaper: it's been there so long you don't see it any more". Shaw defines clericalism as:

an elitist mindset, together with structures and patterns of behavior corresponding to it, that takes it for granted that clerics -- in the Catholic context, mainly bishops and priests -- are intrinsically superior to the other members of the Chruch and dexerve automatic deference. Passivity and dependency are the laity's lot. By no means is clericalism confined to clerics themselves. The clericalist mindset is widely shared by Catholic lay people.

Combine the elitist mindset with the attitutude that boatrockers are enemies even when they are loyal to Holy Mother Church and are working feverishly to bail the floundering ship. Wrap it all up in secrecy and you have prescription for a Church leadership out of touch with the flock and indifferent to the damaging impact scandal has had on the faith.

I'm not talking only about the sex abuse scandals, but the inaction in the face of dozens of other scandals: The Vagina Monologues showing on Catholic campuses, heretical speakers at Catholic events, homosexuals and dissenters teaching in Catholic schools at all levels, pastors allowing Church property to be used for homosexual and pro-abortion events, celebrity Catholic dissenters in photo ops with bishops laughing and making nice as though nothing is wrong. The list of scandals goes on and on and on.

The bishops' trust index with the people is so low at this point that one ponders who the average Joe in the marketplace, not to mention the average Jane in the pew, is likely to believe when he or she sees the bishops "at odds" with a news agency or anybody else for that matter? My money, sad to say, is not on the bishops.

Monday, June 21, 2010

The Government Accounting Office recently released a report showing a huge discrepancy between the amount of tax dollars funnelled into Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion chain in the world and the amount they're spending. Where's the money, Washington Times' Rita Diller wants to know:

Planned Parenthood Federation of America's (PPFA) audits show the organization spent just $657.1 million between 2002 and 2008 from federal government grants and programs, but the abortion behemoth's own annual reports show that it took in $2.3 billion from government grants and programs during the same time period.

Since 2009, at least five nationwide polls have confirmed that a majority of Americans consider themselves pro-life.

Someone, then, needs to explain to all those people why $2.3 billion in tax dollars have been doled out to an organization that admits to systematically having killed more than 1.8 million pre-born babies between 2002 and 2008 and then reports it only spent $657.1 million in federal dollars

Planned Parenthood affiliates continue to build huge abortion megacenters in minority neighborhoods in an attempt to polish its image and gear up for the veritable tsunami of clients that will be headed its way under President Obama's health care plan, which earmarks $11 billion for community health centers.

Is there no end to the amount of our hard-earned tax dollars that will be poured down the bottomless pit known as Planned Parenthood to quench this social-engineering agency's thirst for sexualizing our children, stealing their souls and dumping the mutilated bodies of our children's children into our nation's waste bins? (Read full article here.... )

Wow! Give this lady a medal and let's get the government out of the bedroom. (Isn't that what the abortionists' always say?) Why would an organization that kills millions of babies blink an eye over stealing the taxpayers' money? Demand that your public officials stop funding PP with our taxes! Take the pledge and ask them to take it as well.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

I recently blogged about singer Andrea Bocelli's personal testimony against abortion. Bocelli says he's amazed at the impact his video has had since he recorded it over a year ago. He told an Italian newspaper, “Because of my personal convictions as a devout Catholic, I am not only fighting against something, I am fighting for something - and I am for life.” (Read more here.... )

It used to be that celebrities only paraded anti-life convictions, but more and more frequently well-known men and women are sharing the pro-life message. Why wouldn't they when the only reason they're here is because their moms refused to take the advice of doctors and kill them. Thank God for the Adrea Bocellis and Tim Tebows of this world. They are helping to change hearts. Pray for them and for their mothers who loved them enough to say no to the death peddlars!

The video of Bocelli below stirs my heart. (For the English translation go here, but listen to it first in Italian.)"Miserere, misero me." Translation: Have mercy, wretched me. This song reminds me of Francis Thompson's famous poem, The Hound of Heaven. All of us on this earth are wretched, lost in the world and often running away from God, "From those strong Feet that followed, followed after."

God loves us and wants us to bask in His light. Light and life and joy: that's a good summary of the Culture of Life. Ah, Lord, that we might learn to live it. Then we can truly say, the Kingdom of God is already in our midst (Luke 17:21).

It's a parent's worst nightmare -- hearing the words, "You have a very sick child." For a dad, it's particularly difficult because his job, besides providing materially for his family, is to protect his loved ones from harm. But when illness strikes a child, a dad often stands helpless to "fix it." Decisions about dealing with a criticial illness in an already born chid are difficult enough, but when that illness occurs in utero, parents are faced with another issue. The question is inevitable - "Will you keep it?" Since Roe v. Wade made abortion-on-demand legal in all 50 states at any time during pregnancy, vulnerable families faced with a sick little one are often given the bad news and immediately invited to consider abortion. How will they respond to the challnege? Anthony Horvath, in his book We Chose Life: Why You Should Too, shares his story, his faith, and the reasons he believes others should "choose life" as he and his wife did. Those who find themselves in similar circumstances with a seriously ill unborn child, would do well to put their panic on hold and read his story.

In December 2006, after two normal pregnancies that filled their home with three boys including a set of twins, the Horvath's were thrilled to learn during a routine ultrasound that they were expecting a little girl. Then the shoe dropped. The ultrasound showed something else. "The doctor came in. She wasn't smiling. Her expression was grim....She went right to the point. Our new baby girl had a lot of fluid in her skull, a condition called hydrocephalus. The doctor told us that it could be just hydrocephalus, or, worst case scenario, it could mean that she had Spina Bifida (SB)" [Spina Bifida is a general term for a group of a neural tube defects where a segment of the spinal column fails to close resulting in a buildup of fluid in the brain.]

A second ultrasound showed that the baby had the most severe form of the disease, myelomenigocele spina bifida. While there was no way to know the severity of the outcome, the baby could end up mentally and physically handicapped, catheterized, and permanently unable to walk - or not. "Here was the brutal reality," Horvath says, "there was no way of knowing the future."

Like other families faced with similar bad news, the Horvath's went into mourning. "I descended into the depths of self-pity," Horvath says, "I had thoughts, some of which I will not dare to share here....Together my wife and I entered the grieving process although no one had actually died. But that isn't really true. Someone did die." He goes on to describe all the normal events of childhood and laments, "We mourned the daughter we would not have."

At this point, the Horvaths had a choice -- not abortion -- because as serious Christians the decision for life had been made years before, even if not verbally articulated. Killing this little one created by God was not an option for them. But how would they face the reality? "We passed through our despair and entered forcefully into resolve....We were going to love this child....We stood up under the crushing reality and decided we were not going to be slaves to it."

Horvath shares the details of the pregancy and birth and the challenges of the early days. Then he shifts focus from his personal story to the argument for life. Without glossing over the challenging realities he points out that doctors can be mistaken. The diagnosis may be wrong and normal babies have been aborted. But even if the worst case scenario occurs, Horvath argues, "the children can still bring you immense joy." He invites readers also to ponder the bigger questions: the personhood of the unborn, the rights and privileges due to human beings no matter how small, and the slippery slope that leads from abortion to atrocities such as My Lai. He also addresses God's role in our decision-making and includes thought-provoking ideas for non-believers.

This little booklet, less than 75 pages, is a testimony to life, even in its most difficult and painful circumstances. Horvath says, "I want the reader to know that it is possible to get knocked on your butt with devastating news and then stand up and refuse to allow circumstances to dictate how you will feel about the world. The pain, suffering, and grief are real, but there is no reason why you have to be enslaved to them." Pain, Horvath reminds us, is inseparable from love. "Our only alternative," he says, "is to shut out the world and all of the people in it."

It's important to remember that this dad speaks from experience. The testimony of fathers is a powerful witness. Millions have viewed Matt Mooney's video tribute (below) to his little son Eliot who was diagnosed at seven months in utero with trisomy 18 and died ninety-nine days after birth. His story, like the Horvath's bears witness to the reality of joy in the midst of deep suffering. But I'll let Horvath speak for himself.

As the father of a child who is disabled I can affirm that the joy of relationship easily surpasses the pain, sorrow, and and hardship that has accompanied it. If you can push yourself through the valley of suffering and doubt you find yourself in today...You might also gain an insight into the heart of God. It is something to consider.

In our culture of death, fathers like Anthony Horvath and Matt Mooney exemplify the role of the Christian dad who stands up to defend the very life of his threatened little one. Other fathers facing similar circumstances can benefit from their stories. We Chose Life should be on the bookshelf of crisis pregnancy centers and OB/GYNs. When bad news comes, it offers a hope to move beyond the pain into the joy of new life, no matter how challenging. Thank God for the gift of life first, then thank Dad. He is the defender of the family, especially its most vulnerable members.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Every parent knows that discipline is a necessary part of child rearing. "Spare the rod and spoil the child," as Proverbs says.

But there's been precious little of the rod applied to the dissenters and heretics of the American Church.

If a parent fails to discipline, children run rampant. Not only that - they get hurt and hurt others. And that's exactly what's happening in the United States within the Church. Heretics like Frances Kissling of Catholic for a Free Choice and Catholics for Contraception has encouraged women to make the ultimate bad choice of killing their own children. Groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good lend respectibility to cafeteria Catholicism jeopardizing the souls of many. Magazines like U.S. Catholic and America bless dissident positions. Millions of dead babies testify to the damage of pro-abortion voices including those who claim a place in the Church. Catholic Pro-abortion politiicans like Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi are responsible for laws that enabled killing millions of children, unlike the mother who kills one. And yet she is automatically excommunicated, while Catholic politicians continue to be honored, embraced by cardinals, and offered pulpits at Catholic schools around the country.

Most of the bishops in the U.S. have failed in their duty to discipline within their dioceses. They will not lift their shepherds' crooks to defend the flock against wolves or to snatch back the lamb teetering on the edge of hell's abyss.

In his homily for the Mass closing the year of the priest, the pope called on clergy to use the rod:

"Your rod and your staff – they comfort me”: the shepherd needs the rod as protection against savage beasts ready to pounce on the flock; against robbers looking for prey. Along with the rod there is the staff which gives support and helps to make difficult crossings. Both of these are likewise part of the Church’s ministry, of the priest’s ministry. The Church too must use the shepherd’s rod, the rod with which he protects the faith against those who falsify it, against currents which lead the flock astray. The use of the rod can actually be a service of love. Today we can see that it has nothing to do with love when conduct unworthy of the priestly life is tolerated. Nor does it have to do with love if heresy is allowed to spread and the faith twisted and chipped away, as if it were something that we ourselves had invented. As if it were no longer God’s gift, the precious pearl which we cannot let be taken from us. Even so, the rod must always become once again the shepherd’s staff – a staff which helps men and women to tread difficult paths and to follow the Lord. (Pope Benedict's complete homily here.... )

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Can the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) be trusted to vet Jackson Labs' complicity in human embryonic stem cell research? Apparently not. Ave Watch has an article documenting the extensive involvement of Jackson Labs in the immoral activity. And the CEO of the lab has said that they will not rule out doing it at the Florida facility. And yet NCBC gave Tom Monaghan the go ahead to make nice with the eugenicists.

Think of it. You buy a house in a "Catholic" town because you believe it will support Catholic doctrine, especially the right to life, and find yourself living alongside a scientist from Jackson Labs who is involved in the killing of our tiniest brothers and sisters. No one is talking about this at Ave Maria - not the faculty at the University or the students - except to justify Tom Monaghan selling the property to Jackson Labs so their Dr. Frankensteins can play God. There is definitely something rotten in the state of Florida and Ave Maria Town.

If Planned Parenthood proposed building an abortion mill in Ave Maria one would hope somebody would protest. Why is there nothing but silence over building a facility where tiny babies are likely to be cannibalized for their stem cells?

President Obama has been pointing fingers everywhere about the Gulf oil spill, but the biggest obstruction to resolving the problem has been government. Many countries with expertise in addressing oil spills have offered to help and been turned down flat -- mainly because of the Jones Act, a piece of protectionist legislation to give union preference to American workers. The feds have refused to waive the Act and take the help although it's apparently been waived in the past.

Nobody expects the government to fix the problem in the Gulf. (Heck, they can't fix a leaky toilet without assigning a blue ribbon panel); we just want government bureaucrats to get out of the way. Take a look at some of the articles showing how government policies are blocking solutions. But Obama is sure making progress with his "kick a** statement, his new oil spill czar, and his shakedown of BP. This is what happens when you expect a community organizer to deal with real-world problems that need real solutions. Unfortunately, it's above his pay grade.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Ever since I wrote the article about my concerns over The Wanderer, I have been eagerly reading my weekly paper to see if they will cover the scandal of Jackson Labs locating at Ave Maria Town. And it truly is a scandal to see this anti-life organization with deep roots in eugenics welcomed by Tom Monaghan and Ave Maria University. If you don't think that's what's happening you need to read about Jackson Labs and realize exactly how deeply disturbing Monaghan's complicity in providing the land to build their facility is. Monaghan claims absolution because the National Catholic Bioethics Center provided cover, but that organization is not without controversy.

All of these sources are asking what is going on? And why? What happened to the idea of the city on a hill where Catholics could locate in confidence that their values would be supported. What will happen to the integrity of the town when one of the biggest employers for miles around is an anti-life organization whose entire history is steeped in the culture of death? It looks like a prescription for the perfect storm of disunity. Culture of life move over and make room for the culture of death. It reminds me of the years when St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church, VA peacefully coexisted with the abortion mill next door. All they did was build a higher fence and sing a little louder and harrass pro-lifers who stood on their property to counsel women and offer alternatives. The devil loves that kind of setup!

One voice has been surprisingly silent while the confrontation over Ave Maria welcoming Jackson Labs builds -- and it's a voice that calls itself "Witness for the Truth." That, of course, is The Wanderer. I've been watching for six weeks to see if an article or a column would mention this abomination. There hasn't been a single solitary word about the Ave Maria scandal, only a puff piece by Jeffrey Tucker (two months old) praising a conference on sacred music held at Ave Maria. Is the fix in?

A newspaper can tell you just as much by what it doesn't print as what it does. The pro-life movement has known that for years and the tea party movement discovered it more recently. The mainstream media ignores those who don't represent their liberal mindset.

So does The Wanderer's silence on the buddy-buddy relationship between Ave Maria and Jackson labs reflect a new mindset where Ave Maria and Tom Monaghan are above criticism? I fear the next thing in The Wanderer's pages will be a full-page ad promoting the university. Or perhaps I and other subscribers will get slick packages from Ave Marie touting their orthodoxy.

Until Jackson Labs is run out of Ave Maria Town on the proverbial rail, no orthodox Catholic can believe that Tom Monaghan cares more about the faith than about money. He has given a lot of it away to good causes and that's great. But a drop of poison can ruin a gallon of water. Jackson Labs will poison Ave Maria Town beyond recovery. Why aren't the "witnesses for the truth" at The Wanderer shouting that from the housetops?

There's a great new Catholic website joining the raging spiritual battle and I like the way they think. Dr. Peter Kreeft who teaches at Boston College (one of the few sane voices there, I think) is a contributor and has this to say on how to win the culture war:

To win any war, the three most necessary things to know are: (1) that you are at war, (2) who your enemy is, and (3) what weapons or strategies can defeat him.
You cannot win a war (1) if you simply sew peace banners on a battlefield, (2) if you fight civil wars against your allies, or (3) if you use the wrong weapons.Here is a three point checklist for the culture wars.
1. We Are at War...

Patti Maquire Armstrong has an excellent article on contraception calling for Catholics not just to oppose it, but to "want more children." Openness to life, no not just openness, but the celebration of life should reflect the Biblical imperative that they will know we are Christians by our love. And love is fruitful. Armstrong puts it this way:

I am not telling you to have more children if you do not want them. I am telling you to want them....If our homes and hearts are not open to more children, then we need to go back and open them. We do this by putting God at the center. Whatever stands in the way of openness to life, needs to be pushed aside. Souls, life, God, eternity….these are of the greatest value. The rest will fade away, just as it should. For it is the world that should be fading away and not us. Read the rest here....

There are numerous articles on faith and family, angels and saints, philosophy and practical living. A hungry soul longing for the truth could spend hours on this site filling himself with the nourishing food of the true faith.

So add The Integrated Catholic Life to your favorites and visit often. And if you know someone exploring Catholicism, send them to a place where they will find something they can chew on rather than pabluum or poison.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

On my last post, fellow blogger, Robert, who writes at "All the Clever Names Are Taken" left an off-topic comment asking about the mystery saint at his parish who no one had been able to identify for sure. The picture of the statue is on the left.

A detective game always intrigues me so I thought I'd bite. My immediate thought as I examined the statue was that it had to be a monk who founded monasteries or a saint who built churches. So I started checking those saints and looking at their images.

The statue and painting below are two different depictions of the same saint. He is, in fact, a monk and he did build a famous monastery. In fact, he built several so it's no wonder he's shown holding a model of one.

I posted my guess in the comment section of Robert's blog so if you want to see who I think the mystery saint is go there.

Let's see, two students ask a Congressman on a public sidewalk whether he supports Obama's agenda and the Democrat goes nuts. He begins manhandling the student with the mike, demanding he identify himself The young man could bring criminal charges of assault and battery against the congressman if he chose. The Congressman subsequently apologized, but his behavior against two young men for the audicity of daring to ask him a simple question is shocking. Watch the video and then see how liberal bootlicker Chris Matthews addresses it in the second video.

As you watch Matthews in the video below note the loaded language about the students who "ambushed" the Congressman. Is he serious? And then note how he tries to excuse the Etheridge because the students didn't choose to identify themselves. If someone is grabbing and slapping you would you tell him where you live? This guy needs a straightjacket! As for Matthews, he's scheduled to speak at the Franciscan Monastery next week at an award ceremony of the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service. Let the friars know his presence on sacred ground is an abomination.

Democrats like Bob Etheridge and their liberal accomplices in the media seem to think they are above the law. All the congressman had to do if he objected to the students' question was walk on by with a wave and a smile. Instead, he acted like an official in a banana republic. If he had the power, is there any doubt he would have had these students dragged off to the local Gulag? Wake up America! This is our country ruled by Democrat demagogues. Can you imagine what the Democrats would be doing if a Republican treated a young student like that? But they are all mum at present. Are we surprised?

Take a look at Etheridge's opponent, Renee Ellmers. She's a conservative who is pro-life and wants smaller government and lower taxes. This is the year of the pro-life woman candidate. Visit Renee Ellmers' website and consider contributing to her campaign. Etheridge has to go. How can a man who can't handle a question from students on a public sidewalk be trusted to handle anything else?

Monday, June 14, 2010

Today is flag day. Put on your red, white, and blue and, if you have a flag pin, wear it. This country was founded on godly principles and is still so attractive to the world that many want to come here.

So don't let the America haters get you down. If you love God first, you will strive to build your family and community in the image of the Holy Family at Nazareth. Pray and work for justice, especially for the weak and vulnerable.

Americans are blessed to be born in a country that was built on respect for the individual. We've had some bumps in the road, but our pledge still gives men the greatest hope of "liberty and justice for all." So wave the flag proudly and work to make her truly represent the hope she promises.

To paraphrase St. Thomas More, be your country's good servant, but God's first.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Dr. Richard Grossman doesn't kill babies at the Catholic hospital in the Diocese of Pueblo, CO where he's a staff physician. He reserves that atrocity for his private practice. But should he be affiliated with a Catholic hospital in view of his off-site child killing? Would the hospital hire Dr. Mengele as long as he did his wicked human experiments somewhere else?

The hospital says they risk a lawsuit for discrimination if they fire the doc. But aren't there some other things they could do -- like inform patients that he's an abortionist? We see more and more laws forcing crisis pregnancy centers to say they don't do abortions. How about offering full revelation about doctors who do? I sure wouldn't want Dr. Grossman anywhere near me for any procedure.

On the other hand, maybe that would just give the guy free advertising. No, he should be sent packing. Catholic hospitals should hire doctors who respect life. How else can they be confident that he will treat any patient's life as worth living? Besides, in some states abortionists are required to be on the staff of a hospital in order to perform their dirty deeds. If that's the case in Colorado, the hospital is enabling the killing.

The Diocese insists the hospital is in full compliance with Catholic teaching, but they are providing cover and an aura of respectibility to an abortionist, reputedly the only one within 200 miles. Imagine the impact if they insisted he stop doing abortions to remain on staff. It's a problem though because, let's face it, most OB/GYNs are killing babies with prescription birth control drugs, the morning after pill, and deadly devices. So Catholic hospitals need to begin working toward the model of Divine Mercy Care where all medicine offered is founded on respect for life. Just imagine the transformation of a community and the benefits to the health of women if doctors stopped killing their babies and polluting their bodies with dangerous chemicals and devices. (Well, I can dream can't I?) Drawing the line with Dr. Grossman is a first big step.

I agree with the pro-lifer who said, “In an age when the Catholic Church is sued on an almost daily basis, wouldn't it be refreshing if the church were sued for preventing child killing at its hospitals instead of for allowing children to be molested?”

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Does Barack Obama's eligibility really matter? Does the Constitution? If you don't go to Notre Dame, you aren't eligible to play on the football team no matter how good you are. If Obama is NOT a natural born citizen, he was ineligible to run for president and is serving unconstitutionally.

Does it matter? Lt. Col. and medical doctor Terrence Lakin thinks so. A decorated career officer with eighteen years in the army, Lakin refused his second deployment to Afghanistan last March until proof is provided that Obama is serving legally as president. Lakin is currently suspended and faces court martial. Is this a frivolous action? Hardly. If Lt. Col. Lakin loses he will be deprived of his pension and faces jail time.

So why did he take this step? Here's what he says:

Since Nuremberg, My Lai, and even Abu Ghraib more recently, the military has been taught the hard lessons of following illegal orders. Any reasonable person looking critically at the information and evidence currently in the public domain about Obama's birthplace would have questions about President Obama's claim to be a natural born citizen. I made the decision to disobey all military orders, including my deployment order to Afghanistan, in pursuit of the truth of whether President Obama can legally occupy the high post that he holds today and which entitles him to send servicemembers into harm's way.

The United States serves an example to the rest of the world of a stable, civilized, democratic government, where all men are equal under the law and the rule of law is cherished and obeyed. The U.S. military teaches and promotes the rule of law and civilian control of the military to many other nations and military forces around the world. Every soldier learns what constitutes a lawful order and is encouraged to stand up and object to unlawful orders. This is called the "duty to disobey."

My deployment orders for a second tour in Afghanistan included a requirement to bring copies of my birth certificate. I would be glad to obey this order and provide a certified copy of my original birth certificate with common, standard identifiers, including the name of an attending physician and a hospital. Every day in transactions across the country, American citizens are required to prove their identity; standards for identification have become stricter since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
Since fall 2008, I have been troubled by reports that the president's original birth certificate remains concealed from public view along with other records which, if released, would quickly end questions surrounding his place of birth and "natural born" status. Many people mistook the online Certification of Live Birth for an original birth certificate. Until the summer of 2009, the Hawaiian Department of Homelands would not accept this Certification of Live Birth to determine native Hawaiian identity -- the Department insisted upon also reviewing an original birth certificate....

Until an original birth certificate is brought forward that will validate the Commander-in-Chief's constitutional eligibility and put to rest the reasonable questions surrounding it, I cannot in good conscience obey any of my military orders. Unless it is established (sufficient proof that should be easily within the president's power to provide) that he is constitutionally eligible to serve as president and Commander-in-Chief, I and all other military officers are at risk of following illegal orders.
There is no legitimate privacy right to information necessary to prove that President Obama is legally eligible to serve as Commander-in-Chief.

I remain at risk of arrest and court-martial, but am mindful always that my oath of office is to the Constitution. It fills me with great sadness that on 31 March, I declined a direct order from my Medical Brigade Commander. This is a man I honor and wished to meet in order to thank him for his unquestionable valor and courage, and yet I could not obey his order. Now, he could order my arrest at any time.
I hope that President Obama will demonstrate his respect for the U.S. Constitution and release his original birth certificate. My bags are packed, and I look forward to joining my fellow soldiers in Afghanistan, but I will deploy only with the knowledge that I am following legal orders under a lawful Commander-in-Chief. (See the complete article here.... )

Pray for Lt. Col. Lakin. To keep up with his status visit Safeguard our Constitution.

I don't understand the rationale behind companies running ads to sell stuff that offends potential customers. Hyundai has an ad running during the world cup that shows a wedding in a Church in Argentina mimicking Catholic worship using Latin chants and a censor and a mock communion. I found it so completely bizarre that I'm still shaking my head. One thing is for sure, though. I would never buy a Hyundai after watching the ad. Would you? I just sent an email to Hyundai protesting this blasphemous ad. If you agree with me, go here and do the same.

Time out for a nature break. I can't help it. I'm sitting at my computer but I'm totally distracted by a pair of bluebirds nesting in a birdhouse attached to a pole about thirty feet from my window. There are four little blue eggs in the nest (They resemble the picture below.) and my little granddaughter and I have been going out to check every day to see if the babies have arrived. The house is tiny and I was surprised the bluebirds chose it since there is a bigger one nearby. But I'm glad they did because the other is obscured by tree limbs, but this offers a clear view and a continuous source of entertainment.

Usually the momma is sitting in the nest with her head sticking out the door. I keep a pair of binoculars on the desk and often spend a few minutes watching her. As a matter of fact I can see her head right now peeping out and her mouth is open as if she's yawning. Maybe even momma birds get impatient for the big day. And she is such a good little mother. The daddy often perches outside as if talking to her. "How's it going in there, Hon? Any progress? How much longer?" But babies come when they are ready.

Every now and then a hawk perches in the pine tree overlooking the house. Once I saw him at the door of the birdhouse and ran out to chase him away. Hopefully he will not be back when the babies arrive. I know, I know, he has to eat...but let him catch a field mouse, not the bluebirds.

What did hawks eat before the fall when the world was fresh and new and perfect without sin? Did animals prey on one another then, or did all creatures eat from the fruit of the land? Did the lion truly lie down with the lamb in the garden of Eden?

When I reflect on our beautiful world, it lifts my mind and heart to the Creator and I spontaneously rejoice with the psalmist:

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights;

Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon; praise him all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Chris Matthews, MSNBC's Hardball guy, is an example of an oxy-moron, i.e., he is a pro-abortion Catholic. The fact that rejecting a fundamental doctrine of the Church makes him a heretic apparently doesn't bother him. He recently browbeat Bishop Thomas Tobin for daring to correct Congressman Patrick Kennedy over his position on abortion. And yet Matthews is the speaker at a Catholic event being held at the Franciscan monastery in Washington, D.C. in two weeks. Go here for more information and the video interview with Bishop Tobin illustrating Matthews' boorish and abusive interview style.

Please contact the monastery and the Catholic Network politely requesting that they cancel Matthews' appearance. He is nothing but a shill for the abortion industry and a scandal to the Catholic Church. He needs our prayers, not our patronizing.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

The letter below was published last Sunday on the Feast of Corpus Christi in the bulletin for St. Ann's Catholic Church in Charlotte, N.C. by its pastor, Fr. Timothy Reid. I was thrilled to read it, especially since my own pastor preached the same message on the feast day. More and more priests are urging greater respect for the Eucharist and asking their parishionsers to return to the venerable practice of receiving on the tongue. It is a humble act reminding of our dependence on the God who feeds us with His own Body and Blood.

The Real Presence is the center of our faith and as more Catholics devote themselves to the person of Jesus in the Eucharist we will see a spiritual renewal in our parishes, our families, and our world. God bless Fr. Reid, my pastor Fr. Ettner, and Fr. Robert Lange who recently wrote a beautiful article on this subject. Thank you, dear fathers, for your love for the Holy Eucharist. May Jesus Christ be praised now and forever.

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, a feast instituted in the late 13th century to commemorate our Lord’s institution of the Eucharist, which is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (Catechism #1324). As such, this is a day in which we are called to give rightful honor to our Lord’s true presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It’s also a good day for us to consider our own particular relationship with the Eucharist, most especially how reverent we are in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and particularly our reverence in receiving Holy Communion.

To this end, I’d like to invite you to deepen your own love for our Eucharistic Lord by prayerfully considering receiving Holy Communion on the tongue. I have several reasons for this. While Roman Catholics in the U.S. and most other countries have been given an indult (an ecclesial permission for a particular situation) to receive Holy Communion in the hand, the universal norm for the reception of Holy Communion is on the tongue. In fact, as a means of fostering greater devotion to the Eucharist, the Holy Father now requires that those who receive Holy Communion from him do so kneeling and on the tongue.

No doubt many of our older parishioners will remember before the 2nd Vatican Council when everyone received Holy Communion on the tongue and kneeling. Contrary to popular belief, Vatican II did not call for a change in this practice. Sadly, Communion in the hand came about through the disobedience of many priests and bishops. Observing that in some places Communion in the hand was being introduced (in disobedience to the universal laws of the Church), Pope Paul VI sent out a questionnaire in 1968 to the bishops of the world asking whether there should be a change in the Church’s practice of distributing Holy Communion. The vast majority of bishops voted against a change in practice (cf. Memoriale Domini). Undaunted, some dioceses petitioned the Holy See to officially permit Communion in the hand, and it was in 1973 that the Church granted this wider permission (cf. Immensae Caritatis).

While Communion in the hand is permitted, the Church’s experience the past 40 years has shown that it may not be the most prudent practice. When I was parochial vicar at St. Matthew, we regularly found consecrated hosts in the pew racks or even stuck to the bottom side of the pews. Sadly, there has been one time in my tenure here at St. Ann that I found a consecrated Host in a pew rack. My dear friends: this is a terrible sacrilege! I have also had the terrible experience of having to “chase” communicants who received in the hand but did not consume the Host. The Eucharist is our Lord’s greatest gift to us because it is our Lord Himself! To treat Him with such casual disregard is truly an outrage and a scandal. However, reception on the tongue helps to eliminate the possibility of desecration.

Furthermore, please keep in mind that there is always the danger that particles from the Host may remain in the hand when one receives that way. And even though they are small, the Council of Trent infallibly taught that our Lord is truly present even in the particles as well. This is why priests go to such lengths (through the use of corporals, purificators, and the purification of his hands after Communion) to catch any particles from the consecrated Hosts. If you ever find particles in your hands after receiving Holy Communion, you should consume them immediately.

In addition to giving prayerful consideration to how you receive our Lord in Holy Communion, I also encourage you to be mindful of our Lord’s presence whenever you are in the church. Making sure to genuflect whenever you pass before the tabernacle, maintaining a prayerful silence in the church, dressing modestly, and silencing cell phones are practices that we would all do well to follow – not simply out of respect for our Lord, but for the benefit of our fellow parishioners as well.

North Carolina's public schools are implementing what is euphemistically called the "Healthy Youth Act" to indoctrinate 12 and 13-year old students on the use of every immoral, disgusting, and child-killing birth control method under the sun. Of course the usual list of sex gurus support the Act including NARAL, Planned Parenthood (PP), and the state teachers union. (Do most teachers really support this?)

Will they, one wonders, teach the kids that chlamydia, one of the most pervasive STDs among teens, is passed by skin to skin contact. Condoms, spermicides, pills, shots, patches, diaphragms, vaginal rings, the morning after pill, etc. do not protect against it. No doubt they will tell the kids they need not talk to their parents but can visit their friendly school counselor or local PP office to get whatever they need including STD treatments and AIDS tests...oh, and abortions when their birth control method fails. All of these sex ed programs increase the level of sexual activity among kids. Duh! That's what it's all about. PP doesn't make a cent off of chastity. These kids are sex consumers.

The "Healthy Youth Act" is anything but healthy for kids. It's all about arousing (pun intended) their curiosity about all things sexy and pleasurable. That these gifts from God are good only in the context of a faithful marriage will never cross the lips of the panderers teaching the courses.

If I lived in North Carolina and still had at kids at home, my middle schoolers would be learning at the kitchen table or in a faithful Catholic school. (Unfortunately sex ed has also invaded many Catholic schools so parents need to be sure they are safe alternatives.)

Although parents are permitted to opt their kids out of this immoral program, kids do a good job of teaching each other, especially when the material is titillating. Opting out is unlikely to protect the innocent from corruption.

Orwell was a novice when it came to describing the language of the lie. Planned Parenthood has it down to a science. Reproductive "health" is all about encouraging behavior that causes disease and makes its victims unhealthy and even sterile. The legislation would be more accurately described as the "Corrupting Youth Act." That it is described as "healthy" is a classic example of Orwell's "newspeak."

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Every baby created by God was gifted with special talents. As you listen to Andrea Bocelli thank God for his mom's decision to give him life and pray for all those mothers who aborted God's great gift to them. Adopt a baby today who is in danger of abortion.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of [baby’s name] the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.” - Prayer of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Call it fun; call it food science. Here's a way to turn cream, sugar, and vanilla into a yummy summer treat while explaining to the kids about heat energy transfer (or not). I plan to do this with my grandkids on a hot summer afternoon.

Elias Crim had a great op-ed in the Washington Times last Sunday about Sr. Carol Keehan, head of the Catholic Health Association. Crim, a consultant for Capital Research Center calls Keehan the "million dollar sister" because her salary is close to seven digits for overseeing the $16 million association. As a "religious sister" rather than a "nun" who takes a vow of poverty, Sr. Keehan is not required to turn her salary over to her order.

Crim pointed out that Sr. Keehan, by giving CHA's endorsement to Obamacare, "contradicted the position of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a group whose commitment to health care reform is decades old." The bishops, he pointed out, have responsibility for articulating the moral teaching of the Church and their conference opposed the bill because of its expansion of abortion. Several bishops have said Sr. Keehan is sowing the seeds of "disunity" and "confusion" which can hardly be debated when those who champion her are pro-abortion liberals. In effect, Sr. Keehan made herself one of the most effective lobbyists for Obama's massive government takeover of health care which includes billions for funding community health care centers that can offer unrestricted abortion. Some congressmen defended their votes by pointing to CHA's endorsement which effectively became the Catholic blessing. She had that much power as she shook her fist at the bishops.

Is it any wonder that pro-lifers picketed Sr. Keehan's commencement address at Gonzaga High School near Capitol Hill? The Jesuits at Gonzaga could have invited a true pro-life hero like retired Admiral Jeremiah Denton, POW survivor of the notorious "Hanoi Hilton," or Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, or Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center. There are any number of prominent Catholics in the Washington, D.C. area who stand with the Church. Instead they chose a woman who has become a champion of the pro-abortion liberal establishment. Sr. Keehan got a presidential pen for her betrayal and the accolades of the National Catholic Reporter, the moutpiece of those who hate orthodoxy and want to remake the Church in their cafeteria Catholic image. They endorse abortion, contraception, sodomy, same-sex and serial marriage, etc.

It really isn't surprising to see CHA defy the bishops; their leadership is committed to the liberal pro-abortion Democrat establishment. In December NEWSMAX followed the money trail of CHA members contributing to abortion supporters. Actions speak louder than words and financially supporting those who advance abortion is not pro-life. Money is the fuel that feeds the abortion movement. That's why Sr. Keehan's betrayal is so significant because the bill poors billions into the abortion/contraception machine.

Planned Parenthood is singing the bill's praises for advancing women's "reproductive rights," a euphemism for abortion. It also provides $75 million for sex ed, and more millions for contraceptives (many of which are abortifacient). Following the signing of the bill, Planned Parenthood immediately began planning to open new facilities and expand existing ones. This is the result of the "million dollar sister's" betrayal. God help her.

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Comments are moderated. Please be respectful. Argument (in the classical sense) is welcome, however crude, or obscene remarks will not be posted. I am more lenient with ad hominem attacks directed at me (no name-calling) since so many people these days don't seem to know how to engage in a discussion without them. No anti-Catholic comments will be posted. If you are a bigot, go somewhere else.